The Games We Play
by Samwise Baggins
Summary: Chapter 4 Up: Until leaving Rivendell on their quest, the Fellowship are passing time with Hobbit Games. ...non slash or slash, either way
1. Dodge It!

Title: Dodge It!

Author: Sam  
Series: The Games We Play: 1 / 15

Pairing: Sam/Frodo; Boromir/Merry/Pippin

Rating: PG: A couple of easily misconstrued circumstances, but nothing sexual was meant by the characters within.

Summary: After the Council of Elrond, but before they can leave on the Quest, the Fellowship finds ways to pass the time and possibly get to know one another... with a rather odd Hobbit Game.

Spoiler: Basically not much, unless you've never seen the first movie or read the first book at all. Then it's a spoiler for pretty much those who don't know who winds up in the Fellowship.

Category: Bookverse. (Based on a plot bunny by Balrog Pimp.)

Disclaimer: LotR is a trademark of JRR Tolkien and his surviving children. I am in no way connected with these people, and I do not claim ownership to these characters, lands, or names. I have borrowed them to share a story... and most likely not a story Tolkien would have written, had he had the time or no. I am making no money from this, and it is just for my entertainment, and that of free entertainment to a select group of friends. Thank You.

Distribution: Please ask first?

Setting: Rivendell: between the Council of Elrond and leaving Rivendell.  
  
Note: I am not exactly sure what date the Council of Elrond was held on, as all of my Tolkien books, except the Atlas of Middle Earth, are at work and I am snowed in at home. So, if there is a discrepancy, I apologize. I merely know what the Atlas states as the dates they are in Rivendell.

Second Note: I have based the games listed in this series on several mentioned by the actors themselves or from childhood memories of simple games. I intend to do a series of these games for this group, so feel free to request a specific game you would like to see played. All I need are basic instructions to work with. For complete instructions as to how to play the real version of each game, please contact me privately.

Feedback: Please? I love comments: samwise_baggins@yahoo.co.uk

* * *

The sun was warm and bright, the leaves shining deeply green. Soft grass and cooling shade trees ringed the glade, set for rather an impromptu picnic. The Fellowship was restless but still was kept from truly beginning their arduous journey. As the autumn deepened and the winter chill grew, the nine balked at Elrond's restrictions; thus when this glorious day dawned no one could resist Bilbo's plea for a bit of an outdoor luncheon. Elrond had masterfully arranged everything, and now the entire Fellowship was in a clearing in the woods of Imladris, accompanied by various other Elves, Dwarves, and Men.

Legolas sat with Elrond's children, watching in near-fascination as the five Hobbits seemed to pack away more food than was possible, especially for such tiny beings. He shook his head, letting curiosity actually guide him as he leaned across the table to ask the closest Hobbit, "How do you do it?"

Samwise Gamgee blinked and looked up, surprised that the beautiful Elf would speak to _him_ of all people. He looked around and Frodo, next to him, smiled and elbowed his friend. With a gulp the gardener looked at the tall, graceful blond. "Do what, sir?"

"Eat so much and still manage to move so quietly?" Legolas gestured to where Pippin sat, unaware of a grinning Merry approaching from behind. The younger Hobbit gave a small shriek as Merry grabbed his waist, then whirled and laughingly pushed his friend to the ground, following to scuffle with him.

Sam and Legolas looked once more at one another and the Hobbit flushed a bit, shrugging. "We just do, Mister Legolas. Hobbits are folk made to eat and play."

"Play?" Gimli, the Dwarf, seemed almost to pounce on that statement. "What sorts of games do Hobbits play?"

Merry, having pulled out of the scuffle with Pip, called out in answer, "Oh, loads of games. Hobbits are wonderfully inventive. We play _Cups_ and _Nudge_ and _Tig_ and _Excuses, I Never_... and all sorts of games."

Pippin rolled over, adorably mussed and winded. "We have _Jump Squares_ and _Keep Away_..."

"And _Look Away_..." interjected Merry.

Pippin continued as if uninterrupted, "and _Touch The Table_ and..."

Again Merry threw in his suggestion, "_Eggs, Bacon, Sugar, Tea_..."

"_Duck The Fool_..."

"_Find Me_..."

"_Sing Out_..."

"_Cat's Cornered_..."

"_Excuses, I Never_..."

Merry stopped and glanced at Pippin. "We already said that one, Pip." He turned back to the listening group, "...and _Dodge It_." He sounded triumphant. "There's more if you like?"

The rest of the feasters were sitting rather stunned, having fallen silent during this amazing list of odd-sounding titles. Shaking his head, Gimli grumbled in amazement. He was not the only one who wondered just how Hobbits could find time to play so many different games and still get their work done.

Legolas took the lead again and asked Frodo, "Would you teach us a game?"

With a laugh, for he'd been looking for something a bit more _normal_ to do before going off into danger, Merry leapt to his feet. "Certainly. We can teach you anything." He didn't seem too worried by the blond Elf's glare for having taken the conversation from the Ring-bearer.

Frodo smiled and nodded. "A game would be just the thing on such a day; what game would you have?"

"Oh, _Dodge It_ is by far the most entertaining to watch, my lad," called out a previously drowsing Bilbo. "Any number can play... if they think they can, that is." He smiled, a look of challenge in his eyes for those not familiar with the games of Hobbits.

Getting to his feet, Pippin negligently brushed himself off. "I love _Blind Dodge_..."

But Gandalf, who also had stood, interrupted him. "_Blind Dodge_ is much too difficult for beginners, Peregrin, and some would find themselves seriously handicapped without Hobbit quiet or Elvish hearing. Plain _Dodge It_ will suffice."

"Are you joining us then, Gandalf?" Frodo couldn't help but smile, realizing a bit too late that he, like Gandalf, had just committed to playing the game. Ah well, it would be nice to have a small distraction from his troubles.

Gandalf nodded, taking his hat and setting it carefully aside. He began to tie up his robes, exposing surprisingly well-formed legs. "Of course. If the Hobbits can do it, so can I. The game is simple enough." The wizard glanced around at the rest of the group. "Anyone else care to play?"

Elrond frowned lightly, "Perhaps if we knew the rules, Gandalf?" His tone didn't ask for an explanation, it expected it.

"Oh, it's not hard at all; children play it in the Shire." Frodo smiled to reassure the group, glancing around at the suspicious looks cast on him by those present. With a shrug, he slipped out of his coat and weskit, leaving his vest on. Merry, and Pippin were doing likewise.

"If a Hobbit child can do it, I, Gimli, can do it!" The Dwarf stood, a challenging glare on his face. He laid his heavy coat aside and removed his hard boots in unspoken deference to the soft shoed wizard and the bare-foot Hobbits.

Legolas jumped to his feet. "I too will play." Aside went the ever-present leather over-tunic; he wasn't about to be shown up by a Dwarf.

The elderly wizard smiled as the Fellowship itself started taking up the challenge of this as yet unknown game. They might be agreeing to play together to best one another, but still it was together they would be playing. It boded well for their coming journey.

"The rules," Frodo raised his voice a bit to gain attention, though later he might wonder at his own audacity among such an assortment of important peoples, "are simple. There are two teams and two balls. Either team may use either ball any time it is on their own side of the Half-Line. The Half-Line separates the two sides of the playing field. Members of one team must not cross the line. The members throw the balls trying to tag the opposite side out one by one. If someone catches a ball, he is safe. If he fumbles it, however, he is out. One must always keep the ball in plain site: no hiding it. I believe that's it." He shrugged one shoulder, smiling almost whimsically at the crowd.

"That's all? Throw a ball at someone to get him out and you win?" Boromir looked stunned at the utter simplicity of the _great game_ the Hobbits were so eager to play.

"I assume you will play, as it is not so hard?" Aragorn's deeper rasp cut in from the side, admonishing the other Man for his un-implied insult to the Hobbits. He didn't even flinch when Boromir whirled around and glared at him.

After several moments of intense silence, Pippin inadvertently broke the tense staring contest by exclaiming, "I didn't know we were playing _Look Away_!"

Merry glared at him, but didn't say what was obviously on his mind.

Sam was turning back from the group when Frodo put an arm around him, squeezing lightly, further relieving the tension in the glade with his cheery, "Sam'll be on my team, won't you, Sam?" The chubby gardener looked surprised.

"If you say so, Mister Frodo." He stood there, not entirely pleased as he hadn't intended to play at all.

"No fair!" Pippin and Merry's voices raised in simultaneous protest, "Sam's the best _Dodge It_ player in the West Farthing!"

"There's no hope for it," continued Merry, turning to his young cousin, "Pippin and I will have to be on Strider's team." As Aragorn had never really played before it was rather a silly assumption that he might best the _best player in the West Farthing_, but nobody pointed this out. Rather, teams formed up quickly from that point.

Within ten minutes, Frodo's team consisted of Sam, Legolas, Boromir, Gandalf, and Elrohir, one of Arwen's brothers. The other team, led jointly by Merry and Pippin, had Aragorn, Gimli, Elladan, and a rather feisty young Dwarf named Bimli, a cousin who had accompanied Gimli to the Council of Elrond and had yet to return home. As both of his twin sons were in the game, albeit on opposite teams, Elrond sat between Arwen and Glorfindel. The rest of those present arranged themselves on either side of the area claimed for the playing field. From somewhere, assumed to be the knot of fascinated Elven children standing to one side, two balls were produced which belonged to the venerable old Bilbo Baggins. An almost easy camaraderie was starting, though the Elves and Dwarves seemed to have determined that this game would prove their own race's skill over the opposite race. Bilbo, familiar with the game, sat beside Erestor and claimed he would explain what was going on in case someone missed something interesting. He also had the job of claiming if anyone had broken the rules, thereby making the offender pay a penalty.

At last everyone was settled and the two teams faced each other over the Half-Line marked in the ground. The teams had colorful scarves, donated by some of the Elf women present, tied around their necks to mark their team: yellow for Frodo's team and lavender for Merry's. Thus, Bilbo stepped forward balancing the two heavy balls in his aged hands. "All right, lads, a nice clean game, shall we?" And with that, he tossed the balls straight up into the air and shuffled as quickly as he could from the field, narrowly missing being toppled as the teams rushed forward to gain possession of Bilbo's balls. Sam and Gandalf were the only ones to hang back from the main rush.

A loud cheer broke out from the Men and Dwarves, the Elves looking quite stunned at the rudely distracting noise. Arwen seemed to catch on first. She stood and started cheering and soon the others joined in, the last, hesitantly, being Lord Elrond.

On the field, the action was pretty heavy, right at the outset. Boromir had managed to get a hold of one ball while Gimli got the other. The Human decided merely to throw it at a random person in a lavender scarf, intent on simply scoring the other team out quickly. However, he missed when Pippin, his target, sensed its approach and threw himself to the ground, hard, the ball soaring over his head by a good foot. Gimli, however, was aiming gleefully at Legolas, spotting the blond Elf with the yellow scarf somewhere near Gandalf. He threw the ball but missed as Legolas danced out of the way with a triumphant glance at the shorter Dwarf. Elrohir was not so lucky and was hit by the stray ball in the stomach. A loud laugh erupted from young Bimli, though a random Elf in the crowd protested the strength used to throw the ball.

Bilbo ignored the minor protest, starting his commentary belatedly, as he'd been too absorbed to speak sooner. "Yes, we already have an out as Elrohir... or is it Elladan? Oh, bother, I can never tell. The twin in the yellow scarf is taken out by a well-placed ball from Gimli of the lavender team. Oh! What a nasty fall Meriadoc's had, tripping over Lord Boromir's stray ball, which, by the by, nearly took off young Peregrin's head. It was quite an impressive... Oh! Aragorn has gotten the ball and run towards the Half-Line, apparently aiming to take out Frodo. Looks like Frodo stumbled there... over Samwise's foot I'd say. What an embarrassing way to be saved, I must say. Elladan... or is it Elrohir... has got the... Botheration! Will you please? I cannot hear myself over that infernal chattering you seem to call poetry!"

The last was aimed at Erestor and Glorfindel shouting in unison, "Come on Yellow. Duck and Run! Come on, tag out Aragorn!" It was in fact a most pathetic verse, but served to encourage the yellow team none-the-less.

Due to the bizarre, badly rhymed poem, Bilbo missed seeing young Bimli stumble directly against Sam, over the Half-Line. Sam had a ball in his arms, and thus it was rather simple for the Hobbit to take out the Dwarf to the ecstatic cheering of Erestor and Glorfindel.

"What?! What'd I miss? Confound it all; I'm missing all the fun with those infernal cheers distracting me!" Bilbo tried to see just who had his balls at the moment: Aragorn and Boromir, who were both turning out to be excellent players of this child's game.

Despite the complaints, Arwen managed to get several of the female elves to stand up and cheer in an equally bad poem, "Throw that ball, and wipe that sneer, off the face, of Boromir!" Even Elrond had to groan at the poor rhyme, but the lavender team took heart and Pippin even threw a wink and a smile towards the cheering lasses.

Bilbo once more picked up the commentary. "Aragorn takes aim and gets Prince Legolas across the legs as that amazingly nimble lad tries to jump over the ball. Bit of misjudgment there, I'd say. And such a shame, too. I recall once... Oh!" His reminiscing was fortunately cut short as he noticed something happening on the field, which wasn't really a difficulty as the play was still hot there. "Samwise has picked up the ball, giving the yellow team the advantage of having both of the balls in their hands. Oh, this _is_ such an exciting game! That team may have one player less, but with all of the firepower on their side, they have a heavy advantage. Oh!" He stood and cheered with everyone else, even the lavender supporters. It couldn't be helped. Both Sam and Boromir had thrown their balls at the same time, slamming Elladan from both sides. It was a truly harmonious play worthy of even Dwarven applause, despite being against their chosen team. This now left four players apiece on the field with two free balls for anyone to grab, rolling slowly across the ground. Boromir was first to lunge as a ball crossed the Half-Line back to yellow's side.

Suddenly, a cry of protest went up from the lavender supporters. It seemed two Elves had tried to join the game midway, choosing the yellow side to latch onto. This promised a good knockdown brawl until Elrond stood and signaled his erring fellows to leave the field. They did so regretfully, throwing glares over at Gimli, who once again had a ball in his powerful hands.

Taking aim, Boromir knew he had a clear shot at Aragorn, who appeared to be trying to convince Gimli to go for the Man rather than Samwise, which was his intended target. With a triumphant smile, the Man from Gondor released the ball. Unfortunately, his aim was off as Pippin and Merry hurled themselves over the Half-Line at him, taking him to the ground with a mighty "Oof!"

"Foul!" the cry went up from the yellow supporters. Legolas was the only one to see Gimli slip the ball behind his back to Aragorn, pretending to still have it. The Elf's protest of this obvious breaking of the rules by four members of the lavender team was drowned out by traded shouts from both sides.

Elrond stood and raised his arms. The Elves fell silent and, after a moment, Men and Dwarves, too, quieted. The game paused, though Boromir seemed more stunned or winded than obedient. Pippin straddled the man's pelvis and Merry had his face pressed into Boromir's shoulder and neck. Both were still struggling to keep the stronger man down. When they noted the lapse in sound, they looked up, Pippin wriggling around to glance at the Elf Lord.

"Let us not tackle one another. Keep safety in mind at all times, please." Elrond paused for a long moment then sat, letting Bilbo make the call as to whether the two hobbits would be disqualified or punished. Bilbo shook his head, allowing them to continue their play.

No one had noticed that during the _break_ Gimli had snuck over to the second ball and picked it up, hiding it behind his back and looking smug. No one noticed, that is, except Gandalf on the yellow team. _"So, they would cheat us, would they? We'll see about that,"_ the wizard muttered softly under his breath, waving a hand.

Bilbo called out loudly, "Let the game commence!" He smiled and began his commentary once more, though consternation immediately made the smile fade. "Oh! Now how'd that happen? I could have sworn that ball was a free ball, with no one grabbing or handling it. How in the Four Farthings did Aragorn wind up with... Oh! Not good! Looks like Gandalf of the yellow team decided to take the ball back with some sort of spell. I can't believe he would try such a thing. Poor show, Gandalf!"

Gandalf had indeed cast a levitating retrieval spell, but Bilbo's words drew attention to his little trick and he was forced to apologize. Frodo helped Boromir to his feet, Sam assisting, as the other two Hobbits had finally gotten off of him to return to their own side of the Half-Line.

Legolas' voice suddenly joined Erestor and Glorfindel's. The poem was just as corny as it had been the first time, but by then no one seemed to care. "Come on, yellow. Duck and run! Come on, tag out Aragorn!" He had put arm moves and an odd kick into the cheer, something the others imitated immediately. The other side also adopted these new movements for their cheer, looking better since they were made up of a group of females.

Bilbo cheered as Frodo claimed a miss-thrown ball then cleared his throat and tried to appear neutral once more. "Frodo gets a ball, as does Peregrin. They eye each other, sizing each other up. Now, oh! Beautifully done!" He turned to Erestor beside him, excitedly, "And I thought those balls would hit each other, they passed so close!" He turned back, "A ball takes out Lord Boromir and... not again!"

Gandalf had once more attempted his spell, trying to get the loose ball Frodo had thrown wild. This obvious cheat brought on a new protest, but Bilbo claimed he could remain in the game if he left his magic out of it. Gandalf reluctantly agreed.

Now Merry had one ball while Gandalf picked up the other. They aimed and threw. Pippin had to slam back into the ground to avoid being tagged out by Gandalf's throw. Instead, Gimli got it in the chest. This raised a loud cheer and added butt-wiggle from Legolas' group of watchers. Pippin looked up from the mud to see a smug Gandalf get hit with Aragorn's return ball. The wizard's smile turned to instant shock and he stumbled from the field amid wild cheers and butt wiggling from Arwen and her female Elf group. This group also added a sort of hop-step to theirs, almost turning it into a simple dance in celebration of Aragorn's prowess for the lavender team. All that remained on the field were Strider and the four Hobbits.

"Give up, Frodo! You can't win, you know! Even with Sam on your side, you'll be defeated! Admit it; we're better than you!" Merry jeered, though it was doubtful his confidence was well placed. Sam had both balls in his hands, a slow smile spreading over his gentle features.

With a loud yell, the normally quiet Hobbit hurled his balls at the stunned ranger on the other side of the Half-Line. A shocked groan choked out of Arwen's squad as Aragorn ducked one ball but was slammed into by the other one. He pulled himself up from the field, frowning. Legolas yelled and did a jump-wiggle, which almost ended in a split, in celebration.

"Yes, Sam! You did it!" Frodo patted his servant excitedly, missing his lower back and feeling his hand slide down over the generous buttock of his one remaining teammate. Sam gasped as Frodo patted him once more for good measure then dropped his hand.

Merry frowned, jaw jutting out, as he retrieved a ball and eyed his formidable opponents. Pippin gulped. "Pick up the ball, Pippin! We can still win!" The younger Hobbit nodded but didn't feel as confident. After all, Sam's _Dodge It_ record was near legendary in the Shire... or at least among those who'd played against the simple gardener.

"Down to two a side; what a game it has been. Filled with action, such skill, I look forward to seeing just who comes out the victor. Our Samwise Gamgee of the yellow team is an imposing foe, with a record of no losses to his credit. His playing style seems to be to let everyone else knock themselves out then come in at the end with his strong arm and win the day. His teammate Frodo Baggins, my nephew I might add, has a less perfect record with his notoriously wild shots. But, he is considered fair at the game. What he lacks in skill, he makes up in sheer inventiveness." Bilbo's comments rang out while the Hobbits stood, merely eyeing each other, Merry and Pippin still in possession of the balls.

"On the other side we have Meriadoc Brandybuck. He has youth, energy, and tenacity on his side. Determination can be seen in every breath as he sizes up his opponents for this final, all-important play of the game. His partner, young Peregrin Took, is... uh..." Bilbo struggled to find something good to say about the youngest Hobbit and finally ended lamely with, "Is a real team player." It was laughably obvious just where his preference lie for teams.

Suddenly, the balls flew through the air. Pip's headed unfortunately wide, missing the yellow duo by several meters. In fact, someone had to go retrieve the ball so it could be put back in play. Frodo wound up with it. Merry's ball also missed and hit the ground hard at an odd angle. That angle sent it rebounding back over the Half-Line and knocking into Pip, sending him crashing to his butt. To the heartily shocked protest of Arwen's cheering squad and the other lavender supporters, Pippin was declared tug out by his own teammate. Merry was now alone with one ball and no allies. The yellow squad did their little cheering butt-dance for Merry, egging him with their applause for his efforts against his own side. Merry frowned.

Again, silence seemed to fall as both sides sized each other up. Even the butt wiggling, cheering Elf squads ceased their bad poetry calling. Not a single sound was heard above the rasping breathing of the three players on the field. The crowd held its collective breath, knowing that all it needed was Merry being hit out and the yellow team would win. In fact, even if Frodo were struck, with Sam still in the game, there would be no worry. But if, by some odd chance, Merry and Sam were left in the game, then whoever's ball hit last would be the winning ball. Truly it took aim and timing to win such a standoff.

The balls were released. Frodo's headed directly towards Merry and Merry's directly towards his young cousin, Frodo.

Then it happened: the balls hit simultaneously, Merry being knocked to his knees with the force. Frodo was hit so hard he was sent reeling, the ball bouncing off of him and hurtling towards Sam, about to tag him out. There was no way Sam could duck that incoming missile, panting as he was for breath after such a heavy game. A gasp went up, then wild cheers and Elven butt wiggling ensued with a vengeance. Bilbo was too surprised by the end results to even make a last official, or unofficial, comment. Hugs and sullen congratulations rang out through the glade as the fellowship's first official game together came to a close, with the yellow team cheering loudest.

Sam had caught the ball.

Continued in Chapter Two: Jump Squares


	2. Jump Squares

Title: Jump Squares

Series: The Games We Play: 2 / 15

Pairing: Elrond/Pippin- totally platonic

Rating: G: nothing shocking except Elrond in trousers.

Summary: Elrond is trying to understand Pippin and winds up pulled into a game with him. Just a bit of wackiness.

Feedback: Please? I love comments: samwise_baggins@yahoo.co.uk

* * *

He couldn't quite figure out the youngest Hobbit. He'd tried for some time in fact, going as far as to even list what he knew about the young one. It was to no avail, however; Elrond just could not understand Peregrin Took.

It should have been an easy puzzle, Elrond knew. The Hobbit was young and a bit slow. He seemed to love food, good ale, and a deep pipe. He loved his cousins and enjoyed the company of the servant, Samwise. Yet, he seemed so out of place in this newly formed Fellowship.

The lad should really stay behind and let someone else fill his spot in the nine. However, much to Elrond's consternation, the other three Hobbits argued if anyone even suggested such a thing. Apparently they were convinced young Pippin should journey with them, even lacking skills and needed wisdom.

Why should these Hobbits be so adamant that one so unsuited to the task be included?

The Elf Lord's musings were interrupted by the sound of joyful humming coming up the path. He looked up to find the object of his ponderings approaching at a leisurely pace. Elrond studied the brown curls, the blue-gray eyes, the merry, friendly smile, the slightly feminine features... truly the Hobbit seemed very ill suited to the adventure ahead of him.

Pippin stopped in front of the imposing Elf lord, his smile just as bright as ever, despite the trepidation he felt whenever near the great figure. Taking his small courage into his hands, Pip approached Elrond. "Hello, Mister Elrond. It's a lovely day, is it not?"

"Yes, a truly pleasant day, Peregrin." Elrond frowned at the younger male.

With a gulp, Pippin pushed on. "A lovely day for games, eh?"

Elrond sat straighter, frowning unconsciously at that. "Games?"

Seeing that as encouragement, the Hobbit nodded, smiling wider. He was nodding quite enthusiastically. "Oh, yes! You could play all sorts of games on a day like today. It's perfect for _Jump Squares_ or _Tig_. Want to give it a go?"

The frowned deepened. "Play _Tig_?" Elrond's voice was repressive, however it didn't seem to have any effect on Pippin.

"Oh no. It's more fun playing _Tig_ with Merry and Sam. I was thinking more of _Jump Squares_. I bet you'd be good at it, too, with your long legs; you could easily play." Pip's smile seemed to widen all the more, encouraging the Elf to let go of his age-old dignity and enjoy the beautiful autumn day.

Elrond opened his mouth, but was interrupted by Pip's plea. "Come on, Mister Elrond. It'll be loads of fun. You like fun, yeah? Let's play _Jump Squares_. It's not that hard to learn; I can teach you."

With a sigh, the Elf Lord stood gracefully in his majestic robes. "Very well. You may teach me to play your _Jump Squares_. What do we need for this _Jump Squares_?" He imagined it was rather like skipping stones on a lake.

Pippin frowned, studying Elrond critically as he started to circle the tall Elf. The Elf twisted to watch the Hobbit, but did not actually spin around. Finally, Pip stopped. "The dress'll be in the way. Don't you have anything else to wear? I mean, I can maybe ask Strider if he'll lend you some trousers so you don't have to play in your drawers."

Elrond stiffened. "I can remove my robes." His tone was rather indignant. Slowly, gracefully, he unbound his traditional robes, revealing a pair of surprisingly simple trousers with matching tunic. He carefully folded the robes and placed them on the bench. Turning slowly, he crossed his arms, unaware of just how stunning he looked at that moment.

The Hobbit smiled at the sight of the sculpted muscular body. With a nod, Pippin grabbed a stick and squatted to draw several squares in an odd pattern on the ground: three in a row, two together atop those, another solo block, two together once more, then two more solo blocks, topped by a large arched block. He started drawing numbers in the squares, humming as he quickly worked. Finally, Pippin stepped back. "Okay, we'll need a couple of stones."

"This is a Maths game?" Suddenly Elrond was intrigued. This game might give him more understanding of Hobbits if he were to be shown some of their educational tools. It might also help him understand the youngest Hobbit to see the lad's level of learning.

With a laugh, Pippin tossed a small stone to the Elf Lord. Elrond caught is in surprise as Pippin spoke. "Nothing to do with Maths. It's a game, Mister Elrond. Here, watch me." The young Took then turned and tossed his stone into the first square. He stood on one foot and started hopping through the squares, skipping the one with the stone in it and using both feet when he came to the double squares. Once he reached the arched block, he turned, still on one foot, and hopped back, scooping up his stone as he passed it. With a huge smile he gestured towards the game area. "Your turn. Toss the stone and hop through. Couldn't be easier."

Elrond blinked, frozen in place as he weighed his options. He could easily withdrawal with minimal loss of dignity. Opening his mouth, the Elf glanced over to the excited, happy Hobbit. Somehow, he couldn't let him down. With a resigned sigh, the dignified centuries-old Elven Lord tossed his stone and began to hop, encouraged by the laughing cheering of the tiny being with him.

When he finished his pass, Elrond bowed gracefully at the shoulders towards Pippin, indicating that it was his turn. Pippin smiled and tossed his stone, frowning as it skittered too far in his enthusiasm. He scampered off to retrieve it, laughing as he turned back.

"A bit far, I'd say." His smile lit up his features and, with a negligent wave of one delicate hand, the small Hobbit indicated it was his companion's turn. "You go, I have to wait."

A soft frown crossed the Elf's features. Fingering his smooth stone thoughtfully, wondering if any other new rules might pop up as he hopped up and down the grid on one foot, Elrond finally gently tossed the stone. It landed neatly in the second square. With a quick glance at Pippin for any unexpected changes, he began to hop up the grid.

Pippin grinned and watched happily. He felt the Elf frowned far too much. Maybe being in charge of so many Elves made him unhappy. He needed to play a bit more in the Hobbit's opinion. Maybe if Elrond played, he'd learn to smile.

With a graceful turn, Elrond made his way back and bowed once more to Pip. "This game is a game of balance." The statement was soft, but certainly not questioning. "It teaches the children grace?" That last was indeed a question.

Laughing, Pip shrugged. "I always figured it was a game, Mister Elrond. Didn't think it taught anything, really. But, I guess it could." He tossed his stone and hopped his way up then down. "You know, actually we're supposed to keep tossing and hopping until we miss, then it's the other one's turn, Mister Elrond." He grinned wider.

Elrond blinked slowly then frowned again. "Then why did you not tell me sooner? We have been playing the game incorrectly." He did, however, skip his stone to the third square, still playing by the rules his companion had initially given him.

"Wanted you to get a chance to play. Usually I don't mess up." He grinned and took his turn, trying to prove his point by going at a faster pace. He stumbled and fell though, laughing as he picked himself up and brushed off his clothing, "Oops, I won't do that again."

The Elf had stepped forward to offer assistance when he saw the small being hit the ground. But as Pippin came up laughing and apparently unhurt, the Lord of Imladris stepped back. He tossed his stone. Glancing at Pippin, verifying that the Hobbit wasn't merely putting on a show for effect, Elrond nodded in satisfaction and began to hop. However, he had been distracted and tumbled when he came to the ninth box. Almost sheepishly, he picked himself up and took his stone, coming back to the beginning where the Hobbit waited, laughing.

"Oh, the look on your face, Mister Elrond! I'd wager you've not fallen in some time." He flashed his sunny smile and asked in a carefree voice, "Are you hurt, sir?"

"No, not hurt." Elrond looked down at his now torn trousers, but felt no pain and saw no blood. He glanced back up at the Hobbit. "It is your turn, Peregrin."

Pip smiled even wider, "Right." He tossed and hopped, making it back without incident this time, though he was still behind in the amount of completed squares he'd done.

The next hop through confused Elrond, surprising him just as much. He forgot to put his foot down for seven and eight, hopping instead on one foot through the entire grid and skipping square seven completely. Pippin's delighted laughter rang out, alerting him to his error.

"Oh, you've missed seven, Sir! It's my turn now. Come on back." Pip seemed almost to be bouncing or dancing in his excitement. His face was alight and his entire body almost quivered in his enjoyment of the child's game.

The grin was infectious.

Elrond slowly returned the smile and rejoined the Hobbit, bowing to indicate it was Pippin's turn. As he watched the tiny being make his way across the grid, the Elf couldn't resist a soft chuckle at just how absurd they must look. After all, one did not often see people hopping about on one foot, stooping to pick up stones before again hopping off. It was perhaps the most absurd thing the Elf had done in hundreds of years, and he found he was enjoying himself immensely.

The two spent a long morning together, in fact, playing several games of _Jump Squares_, which Elrond quickly grew highly skilled at, a game of _Cups_, at which Pippin excelled, and even an altered version of _Skips_, an Elven game, involving skipping over a swinging rope, which Elrond dredged up from memories of when his own children were small. 

By luncheon the two were lounging comfortably, tiredly, on the beautiful grass. Both were flushed, sweaty, and panting, but both also were smiling. It had truly been an enjoyable morning for Lord Elrond. He may not understand the little Hobbit any better than before, but he did understand one thing now: He knew why the others insisted on keeping the little fellow around. Peregrin Took had been made to help ease one's burdens with laughter and sunshine.

Continued in Chapter Two: _Sing Out_


	3. Sing out

Title: _Sing Out_

Series: The Games We Play: 3 / 15

Pairing: A bit of Pippin & Boromir, an implied Aragorn & Legolas, and maybe even some Sam & Frodo thrown in. Nothing too slashy, though.

Rating: G: A bit of fun, with one or two scares.

Summary: Pippin is bored. He manages to get the Fellowship together for their second group game. _Chartreuse?_

Feedback: Please? I love comments: samwise_baggins@yahoo.co.uk

* * *

Pippin sat, a bit bored, in the fair autumn light. Late birds still sang in the trees, rustling about for food or comfort, adding a bit of gaiety to the quiet morning air. A light breeze made things a bit cooler than the sun deluded one it would be, but it wasn't an unpleasant chill. It actually reminded one of autumn in the Shire, if one didn't think too closely about all the trees and waterfalls and Elves.

Yes... that's what made this place truly seem odd: the Elves. It wasn't that Pippin disliked Elves, far from it, but they were rather wise and serious and... well... prosy. Poetry, songs, long ballads... those seemed to be the lifeblood of Elves. And it was all good in its place, but the youngest Hobbit craved something a bit more... frolicsome. He wanted activity and laughter and fun. What Peregrin Took wanted right then was a game. True, he could hunt up Merry for a good romp, and the other day he'd even played _Jump Squares_ with Lord Elrond, the frighteningly serious Lord of Rivendell, but he wanted something else, something more.

A sudden smile crossed the adorable features of the Hobbit and he nodded. What he wanted was something like that first game... the _Dodge It_ game they'd played with the entire Fellowship. That had been really very fun. But what game could they play with that many people? He wanted something new, and knew that Gandalf didn't approve of _Blind Dodge_ because people tended to bump into things with blindfolds on.

The Took lad sat on the engraved bench, short legs swinging as he couldn't reach the ground from a seat made so high, thinking. What game? What game? Oh! With a hop from his perch, Pippin tore off through the gardens, intent on tracking down someone from the Fellowship to aid him in persuading the rest to play such an active game.

As he reached the steps of the great house, Pip slowed then halted. If he got Merry, they might not be able to convince the others just how good an idea it would be to forget dignity and such to play something. He frowned. Who could help him? Who would want to?

One slow step at a time, as he thought over all of his options, the Hobbit made his way up the low steps and into the great chamber. He barely noticed his beautiful, airy surroundings. Who? Who? Who? Who... Oh! Pip's face split into a wide, engaging grin and he turned a corner, running again, ignoring the startled looks from the Elves still not used to his youthful enthusiasm.

Slamming a door open, grinning and panting, Pippin never stopped his headlong dash. Rather, he flung himself at the startled Man who turned to see who'd invaded his chamber. "Boromir! Hello, play a game with me?"

Taken by surprise, the tall blond could merely stare, mouth slightly opened. He blinked startled green eyes and backed up a step from the bundle of energy that had thrown itself into his room, reminding him of his brother, Faramir, when the younger Man had been a youth. The memory of his beloved brother moved the Man to speak more gently than he might have to the near stranger. "A game? Is that why you come in as if the hounds of death are at your heels?" He hid the smile which wanted to spring up, trying to figure out which halfling this particular one was.

"I'm bored and want a game, and knew you'd be bored, as well. You were so good at _Dodge It_, I thought you'd be wanting a bit of play again. The day is pretty."

Raising a hand, Boromir stemmed the flow of words pouring from the Hobbit. "Shouldn't you be training for the journey ahead, little one? It is no picnic we go into." He did smile at this, however. True, this dark haired bundle of energy looked nothing like Faramir, but his enthusiasm was the same... until Faramir had gotten older and more interested in lore and wisdom.

Pip laughed and grabbed for Boromir's hand, tugging it. "Sitting around all day and listening to songs won't get me trained any better, Boromir. But playing a rousing game should keep me fit enough. Come, you want a game as much as I." He tugged again, his engaging grin answering the Man's ever increasing smile.

The son of the Steward of Gondor laughed. "I want a game, do I?" He started to relax, realizing that this wasn't the Ring-Bearer, as he had at first feared. "So, what game do I wish for..." what _was_ the name of the other dark-haired Hobbit? Yes, "Peregrin, isn't it?"

"Oh, call me Pippin, or Pip if you'd rather. I like it just the same. You want something active which involves running around and a bit of showing off. Come along, Boromir." This time when Pip tug, the Man followed, laughing softly. At least he hadn't protested, and the rest of the Fellowship should be quite willing to play a game if _he_ supported Pippin. After all, this was the most withdrawn member so far, aside from Gimli the Dwarf. "We need find the others so they can join."

"Oh, and where's that young scamp you normally play with?" Taking a stab in the dark, he continued, "Sam, isn't it?" He realized his error as Pippin broke into delighted laughter.

Amused, the young Hobbit continued chuckling, exclaiming "Sam? Oh, no, Sam's not really into mischief, Boromir. You're meaning my cousin Merry. Sam is Frodo's servant, and will play if Frodo tells him to, but he doesn't often join our games unless prodded more than you."

A nod was Boromir's only answer. He really hadn't time for more, as he was suddenly grabbed by the other hand by Merry. It must have been Merry, as the gray-eyed laughing Hobbit was the very one Boromir had recalled as being the instigator of _Dodge It_ a few days previously.

Merry grinned and nodded. "A game, Pippin? Or are you just walking with him?"

With a wide grin, Pippin chirruped, "Oh, we're to play a game. Boromir's agreed to help get the rest of the Fellowship in so we can have loads of fun and exercise. We need to stay fit before we leave, of course, and this is the way I choose to."

"Of course." Merry sounded amused. He let go of Boromir's hand and ran ahead, stopping as he came to Gandalf. "You'll join our game, Gandalf, won't you?"

The Wizard turned slowly, frowning softly down at the Hobbit. Slowly, he lifted his eyes, not showing his surprise to see Boromir being led by the hand, Pippin the one doing the tugging. In a clear, calling voice, he asked, "And what game are we to play, Peregrin Took? It must be something the others will want to play. Have you thought of something Elves and Dwarves and Men would play with Hobbits?"

Boromir added his own condition, "and one with exercise in it, or I go to the training field, little ones." He was smiling, still holding Pip's hand, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Perhaps later he might wonder why he'd taken to relating to Pippin as if he'd known the young Hobbit his entire life.

"Oh, I've got the perfect game!" Pippin grinned up at Boromir, finding he really did like green eyes; they seemed so warm and friendly. "We can play _Sing Out_. It's loads of fun and any group can play. It's easy."

The blond Hobbit shook his head. "He wants more of a challenge. _Eggs, Bacon, Sugar, Tea_ is energetic and has a challenge to it." He hadn't played that since he was small, and found himself strangely eager to play.

Shaking his head, Gandalf disagreed. "These people are not used to Hobbit games, Meriadoc. They may never be ready for that particular one. _Sing Out_ will do; let us find the others." Amused, he looked over at the pair, Human and Hobbit, still standing there. "We may even be able to persuade an Elf or two to join.

The youngest Hobbit nodded eagerly. "I would hope so. Legolas is an Elf and we want the entire Fellowship to play. He tugged at Boromir's hand once more, leading the group towards the room he'd often found Gimli in.

His guess had been correct. The Dwarf stood, intently studying a beautifully worked spear engraved with Elvish runes. He stood to the side of a large room lined tastefully with weaponry and armor. It wasn't a haphazard mix of equipment set aside for times of war. The weaponry chamber of Imladris, or Rivendell in the Westron tongue, had been specifically designed to display rather than contain. The walls, shelves, hooks, and stands were arranged to best display whatever was there, the runes catching the light perfectly to display the stories engraved there for all to enjoy. In fact, Gimli had homed in on the most noted weapon in the room: the Spear of Gil-galad.

True to his own nature, Pippin seemed oblivious of the quiet grandeur of the vast chamber. As Boromir hesitated, taking in the room for the first time, the youngest of the Hobbits let go of his companion's hand and ran excitedly up to the Dwarven warrior. "Gimli? Come; let's play a game. You can look at spears and armor later; the sun shines right now."

Turning, frowning, the Dwarf made a noise low in his throat, the meaning of which was unclear to those present. He glanced over at Merry and Gandalf then at Boromir, who stared in fascination at the spear in the Dwarf's solid, sure hands. Finally, he rested his warm brown eyes on Pippin, though the expression was unreadable at the moment. "And who will be playing this game, young Hobbit?" At least he hadn't turned down the idea out of hand.

Coming out of his daze, Boromir looked at Gimli. "We're trying to get the Fellowship together, as we had the other day. Pippin wishes to play a game called _Sing Out_ and has assured that it is an active game." He moved closer to the Dwarf, trying to better see the spear, regretting his promise to spend the day playing when there was such a room to explore.

Gently, almost reverently, the Dwarf put the spear back on the rack. He'd been surprised when he'd first stumbled upon the room, days ago, and was not stopped when he'd reached for a small sword. Lord Elrond, in fact, had encouraged his guest to look at the weapons and _learn their histories_, even offering to translate for him if needed. The Elven Lord had seemed eager to promote a future understanding between their races.

The warrior turned once more and nodded. "An athletic game would be welcome. I would normally suspect a singing game to be other than active, but you Hobbits have yet to cease your surprises, so I will trust it is as active as I might wish." He slipped his thumbs into his heavy tooled-leather belt, smiling behind his braided beard.

Boromir nodded. "We should find the others and encourage their participation." The Man turned his back on the wonders of such a room, promising himself that he would peruse it to his heart's content later on. Without thought he took pip's hand and guided him to the door, the Hobbit happily accompanying him, not minding the way Boromir seemed to have taken up the role of protector to him.

There would be many months on the arduous journey ahead in which Pippin could convince Boromir that he was twenty-eight years and nearly at his coming-of-age. For now, he would let the Human see to him; Men seemed to prefer being caregivers or protectors when put near Hobbits, for some odd reason. Pip figured that it might be because they were so much larger than Hobbits.

With amusement, Gandalf followed the others out, noticing the odd look Merry tossed his cousin's way. //Oh, ho. Meriadoc seemed to feel his cousin might be growing up.// As he didn't speak that out loud, he would not be required to explain just how Pippin's walking with Boromir was growing up more than his walking with Merry. If he'd been asked, however, he might have replied that it dealt with Pippin expanding his world to include others, rather than merely his childhood friends. He _might_ have said something of the sort.

They trailed down the hall to find a room in which Legolas and Aragorn softly spoke in Elvish. It wasn't certain, but the conversation sounded very private. The Elvish tongue leant it an intimate air, in fact. The footfall of the Dwarf alerted the golden-haired Elf, however, and words ceased instantly. Legolas glanced over, a slight frown marring his beautiful features.

"We're gathering a group to play _Sing Out_ and wanted you to join." Merry took the lead this time, calling out from behind Gimli.

Aragorn turned fully, the expression on his face unreadable. His companion tilted his head just a bit and asked, "What game is that? You've mentioned it before, but I've never seen it played."

With a laugh, Pip nodded. "It's a fun game with loads of running about and..."

"Peregrin, we should await everyone before explaining the rules," Gandalf chided gently. He looked to the pair and smiled. "Will you join us, Legolas, Aragorn?"

The Elf let his eyes roam over those present. Meeting Gimli's almost hostile glare, he decided quickly. "I will play." He threw a challenging glance back at the Dwarf, receiving an eye roll in return.

Clapping, letting go of Boromir's hand to do so, Pippin almost hopped in his enthusiasm, but managed to restrain himself. "Oh, that's good. Strider? Will you join us? You'd like it. It makes you use your mind."

"An active game which challenges the mind?" The ranger's low, rasping voice held surprise. "Very well." He looked at Boromir then back at the Hobbit. "Will Frodo and Sam join us as well?" He preferred to keep Frodo in sight if the other Man was around, though he would not reveal just why that was.

"Oh, I'll join." Frodo's soft voice broke into the conversation, amused, almost excited. The others turned to see the delicate, pale Hobbit approaching followed ever faithfully by the sturdier Sam Gamgee, his servant. "I enjoy _Sing Out_. Sam, will you play?" It wasn't an order; it was a request.

Sam nodded and frowned softly. "Of course, Mister Frodo." Unlike the previous game he'd been drug into, Sam actually enjoyed _Sing Out_ and had hoped to play as soon as he'd heard Pip's voice down the hall. Since his master would play, it made it far easier for Sam to leap at the opportunity without feeling guilty for abandoning his friend and employer. "What'll be the call this time?"

Boromir frowned. "The call?" He was beginning to think the game might be a bit convoluted. Already the title didn't relay _running about, challenging one's mind_. What had the Hobbits up their sleeves now?

A laugh rang out and Bilbo approached at his slow, aged shuffle. "Call? You must be discussing _Sing Out_, a particularly favorite game in the Shire. I'd play if I could keep up with the running about. Has this scamp convinced you to have a go then?" Bilbo flitted a hand in Pip's direction.

When agreement reached his ears, Bilbo laughed, rubbing his hands together rapidly. "Oh, good. I'll enjoy watching it, though it's not as amusing to watch as _Dodge It_. The fun lies in the playing. The rules are simple; has anyone told them, yet?" The aged Hobbit looked around, bright hazel eyes merry, full of mischief, which his body could no longer keep up with. At one hundred twenty-eight years, who but an Elf could keep up any more?

A shake of his head sent Merry's curls dancing about in the light breeze across the hallway. "Not yet, Bilbo. Would you like?"

"Yes, yes... if I may?" Bilbo looked around at the friendly faces and smiled wider as he saw approval. He started walking outside, leading the group towards the wide courtyard. He wasn't even paying attention as Boromir once more took Pip's hand, though he might have thought it amusing to see the irrepressible young Hobbit treated as one of far less years than he had.

As the group made their way outside into the still beautiful morning, he began reciting the instructions to this odd game. "Well, you start with one person trying to tag all the other people. If he tags someone, that person has to sit out the game until someone new is the tagger. A new tagger happens when the last person in the group is tug out." He glanced over his shoulder, seeing that they were still following his rules.

The Dwarf spoke, guttural voice ringing out in the clear air. "Sounds like simple _One Out_, a game I used to play back home." He sounded pleased, as he used to like the game.

Bilbo nodded. "Yes, I've heard of that game from Fili. It's much like the Elven game of _Home Free_ or the Man game of _Tag_." The understanding on the faces of the Fellowship encouraged Bilbo to continue. "Anyhow, in this version of the game, you have a bit of a twist. When the tagger tries to get you, you have the option of sitting down, claiming yourself safe from tagging for a count of five."

Surprise crossed Boromir's face. This game sounded far too easy. He'd thought the first game had been simple, but this one? Where was the challenge in sitting down before someone could reach you?

He didn't need to ask the question. Pippin interrupted happily. "But there's a limit to sitting down. If you're down for more than the count of five, you're out. And in order to sit down, you have to name something. It can't be the same as what anyone else has named for the entire round." He smiled up at Boromir. "That's what the call is. It can be birds or plants or rivers or cousins or whatever. Only we have to agree what it is before we play so there aren't any fights."

The ranger chuckled very softly. "I see how it could be a challenge to the mind."

Gimli nodded. "And if you've no cousins, as I've noted that Men have few children, you would have no time for sitting."

"Hobbits have dozens of cousins." Merry sounded smug.

"Hmm... then we shall claim cousins not permitted for a call." Gandalf trained a stern eye on the Brandybuck; Merry frowned and nodded reluctantly. "We will," the Wizard continued, "need an appropriate call, however. So, what will we choose?"

Looking thoughtful, Frodo slowly said, "If we choose plants, Sam and Aragorn will have the advantage right out. If we choose rivers and such, the travelers will have a benefit. What can be named that will put us all on reasonable footing?"

For some reason, everyone looked towards Pippin, though one would hardly think that _he_ could come up with a solution. He surprised them all, though, when he piped up, "Numbers. We can call out numbers under one hundred and have Bilbo mark them down so no repeats happen. Or colors. Colors are good. No advantage there." He let go of Boromir's hand and started pointing out places he called boundaries of the courtyard, meaning no one could cross that area without being out for the round.

The elderly Hobbit nodded. "Colors it is. Much more of a challenge than numbers. Now to choose whom is the tagger. Come here, Peregrin. We're to select a tagger." Pip nodded and hurried over, bouncing on his feet, eager to begin. Bilbo smiled and looked at the motley crew. "Come form a circle round me. Stick out your hands."

Everyone did as told, confusion on most faces, though Frodo merely looked amused. Bilbo started tapping hands lightly, calling out a little singsong rhyme. After mere seconds, Pippin was left with a hand in the center and everyone else had their hands by their sides. Pip shrugged. "I'm tagger. Everyone run."

He suddenly lurched out at Legolas, who was less confused than one would think. The nimble blond threw himself to the ground calling out "**Green**." Pip frowned and took off after another member as Bilbo counted down Legolas' safe time. As the Elf stood, the game was going full swing, with everyone having caught on to the _sitting_ rule.

As the little Hobbit attempted to catch person after person, he was at first thwarted. Things soon took a change, though. Gimli called "**Silver**" promptly sitting, but was called out when he forgot to rise at the count of five. He was stunned to have been not only the first out but out within a minute of beginning. He scowled fiercely as the laughing Elf passed by.

Aragorn managed to come up with **Brown** as he sat, getting up only on count of three as Pippin had moved off. Since that was a legal move, no one was required to use their entire count, he waited, poised on the balls of his feet, for Pippin to come back his way.

Boromir and Frodo called "**White**" at the same time, causing Pippin to attempt to stop running. The Hobbit tripped, instead, but merely glanced over at Bilbo from the ground, waiting for the official decision as to who got the call. Bilbo shook his head. "**White**'s off limits. Neither gets it. Choose something else." He refused to be accused of favoritism as he had been after that _Dodge It_ game.

The Man scowled and called out "**Yellow**," causing Merry, mouth open, to stumble and frown. "That was mine! **Yellow**'s always mine! Everyone knows I get **yellow**!" He sat down, however, sulking "**Blue**" when Pip tried to take advantage and tag him.

For his part, Frodo shrugged off the loss of his color choice and continued running instead. Pip was after other people and he had time to think. Unfortunately, he got lost in a horrifying vision of orange flames and was tug out in his fearful confusion. Turning his head, eyes pretty much blind in his daze, he cowered.

Sam immediately ran over, pushing Pippin out of the way. "Mister Frodo? What's he done to you sir? Here, sit down." He threw a glare at Pip, who backed off looking worried and confused.

"I didn't do anything to him, Sam. I only tug him." He glanced over at the others trying to relay his innocence in Frodo's trouble. "I didn't even tag him hard. Just a touch, like this," and he reached for Sam's arm.

The gardener pulled away, scowling. He turned back to Frodo. "Mister Frodo? Are you feeling all right? Is it your shoulder, sir?" He petted Frodo's curls in a worried, comforting manner.

Frodo flushed and shook his head. "I'm fine, Sam, really. Do stop fussing, please. I was lost in thought is all, a bad thing when trying to play a game but nothing serious. Pip startled me is all. Sam, lay off." He sounded frustrated at the end, embarrassed by the fawning, as he really was all right.

His servant nodded, backing off, feeling just a bit hurt at the reprimand. He shoved his hands in his pockets, watching his master intently just the same. "Well, you're out then, sir, as losing thought's no excuse for avoiding an out." He opened his mouth to say something more but cut off when Frodo stood and moved uncomplainingly to sit by Bilbo and Gimli.

Gandalf nodded, staring at Frodo a bit longer. He then turned to the others. "Sam, get ready to run or Pip will have you out, as well. Let the game begin again." He had not had to run or call out yet, as Pip still hadn't gotten to his part of the field. The Wizard was amused when a look of shock crossed Sam's face, the chubby Hobbit snatching his hands from his pockets and trying to run.

Pip was after him in a flash and tagged him. A friendly "Come on, Sam, sit by me," rang out and the servant slouched off the field to slump next to his friend. The Took male grinned and turned to reach for Merry.

"**Purple**!" Merry hurled himself at the ground.

A shout of laughter rang out as Pip reached for Boromir and was thwarted by the Man tripping. At least the Human was able to convert his tumble into a safety by calling out "**Red**." Merry continued laughing, however, springing up then sitting right back down again with **Black** as his color. The tagger was getting quite frustrated with his older cousin.

Spinning, looking for a new victim, the Hobbit's eyes fell on Gandalf, who was unwisely turned towards Aragorn, answering some comment. Grinning hugely, knowing no one would warn the old Wizard, Pippin stealthily approached. His movement was noticed, however, as Aragorn saw him and called out "**Azure**". Gandalf whirled, called "**Grey**", and sank to the ground, then turned and frowning at Aragorn. "_Azure_? What an unusual choice..."

Mildly annoyed, Pip whirled suddenly and managed to touch Merry's leg as the Hobbit tried to hurl himself to the ground with a call of "**Orange**". Bilbo chuckled happily. "Sorry, Meriadoc. He got you before you said it. You're out."

By then the loud game had attracted the attention of many Elves. They formed a loose border around the playing field, trying to determine the rules of the game without asking. It posed an intriguing question so they watched in contentment. Lord Elrond strode over just as Frodo clapped enthusiastically. Legolas had managed to avoid Pippin by a hair, calling "**Pink**" as he sat down, chuckling.

Boromir had a color to mind and was eager to use it, finding this a fun game, if simple. He edged closer to the Hobbit, grinning, dancing away a bit if Pip looked, just to tempt the smaller being. Finally it paid off and Boromir laughingly ran a bit ahead of Pippin. Then, he stopped laughing and ran a bit harder. He'd forgot his color! Coming to the edge of the field, he skidded over the line, realizing he'd just made himself out. With a groan, he turned to see a gloating Pippin standing still inside the border, panting but triumphant. "Thanks, Boromir." He waved a hand, cheekily grinning, and trotted back to try to get the others out. The Man sat where he was with a "humph."

It was now a rather odd game as the field size hadn't changed but the number of players was less. Gandalf, Aragorn, and Legolas were more easily able to avoid Pip as the smaller Hobbit ran back and forth trying to tag someone. Colors were called out and noted and things looked hopeless for the little Hobbit. However, he was smiling widely, edging ever closer to the heavily panting Gandalf and the bemused looking Aragorn. Normally Gandalf just wasn't up to such an intense chase for long.

He lunged. Aragorn hit the ground with a loud "**Green**". Gandalf couldn't even think of a color, embarrassingly enough, and was tug out by one of Pip's hands as the little male simultaneously tug Aragorn. The large Man looked up, stunned. "Already been said, Strider. Sorry. You weren't safe when you sat this time." He skipped off as Gandalf assisted his companion off the ground and led him to the sidelines.

Now it was between Pippin and Legolas. Excitement ran high, especially among the Elves. They had finally caught onto the rules and knew it was a matter of Pip's speed and maneuverability versus Legolas' endurance and intelligence. This was going to be a quick end in many opinions. They felt the little Hobbit would see the odds and resign himself to never catching the Elf.

Bilbo leaned forward. "Oh, the last rule. I forgot, I forgot. If he cannot catch the last person within a certain allotted time, the last person wins, instead. What time limit shall we set? Five minutes?" Agreement met that, though Legolas shrugged indifferently. He felt he could have lasted quite a bit longer.

The time limit came closer as the pair continued to run around the field, looking like some bizarre mating ritual: Hobbit panting and chasing Elf. Finally, as Bilbo and Merry started loudly counting down the last seconds, Pippin grinned wider. He'd managed to get Legolas in a corner. It required only a tag or a call to sway this game. The color choices had gone through a good many shades of each color, and to think of a new one on the spot would be a challenge. To win, however, Legolas needed just one color to call out... just one.

Pip shouted in triumphant and lunged towards the Elf. Legolas ducked, curling up and screaming "**Chartreuse**" as he hit the ground. Pippin stumbled over the Elf, hitting the ground and losing his wind momentarily. Cheers erupted as the time finished and Legolas became the official winner.

Shaking his head, Pippin panted, "Maybe it's a good idea to wait a bit before the next round. I'm hungry." He was rolled over and helped up by Merry, laughing good-naturedly. Frodo surprisingly agreed, however, and everyone started leaving the field, congratulating Legolas as they passed. When Gimli got to the Elf, however, he merely grunted and frowned. With a shake of his head he continued to walk, growling out, "**Chartreuse**? What kind of color choice is that?"

Legolas shrugged. "Apparently a winning one."

Continued in Chapter Two: _The Old Hobbit's Cat_


	4. The Old Hobbit's Cat

Title: _The Old Hobbit's Cat_

Series: The Games We Play: 4 / 15

Pairing: Merry and Pippin/ Frodo and Sam, though no actual pairs

Rating: G: Fun for the whole family

Summary: A rainy day means another game for the Fellowship... but they get two for the price of one!

Feedback: Please? I love comments: samwise_baggins@yahoo.co.uk

* * *

It was raining. A couple of good, sunny days had passed, but autumn was certainly blowing in evidence that morning. Leaves were whipping in the trees and the numerous waterfalls were almost roaring as they swelled with the downpour.

With a sigh, Frodo turned from the balcony. He was bored and worried. Wanting distraction from his current and future problems, the Ring Bearer had hoped to convince Pippin to get another Hobbit game going on. However, with the lack of a large running field, there weren't any games Frodo could play... at least none he could recall. It wasn't just a large area he wanted, either. He longed for a distracting crowd to take his mind off of the coming Quest.

Another sigh escaped the young brunette, but before he could give into the threatening melancholy, Sam's voice broke through. "What's wrong, Mister Frodo? You sound that sad, Sir." The chubby Hobbit had a concerned look on his friendly face, his green-gray eyes fairly radiating his need to help his master.

"I'm... bored."

Sam's concern made Frodo's response sound a bit childish, but he didn't try to explain further. Surprisingly enough, as often happened with Sam, the younger Hobbit didn't seem to need an explanation. He nodded knowingly and slid his hands into worn pockets. "The rain, Sir... it makes many a Hobbit depressed when he'd rather be out in the sunshine and grass. Even in this Elf place it's dreary."

"Exactly, Sam." Frodo nodded in relief, "and I had hoped for another game of Pippin's to pass the time." He tried a smile for Sam, and was relieved when he could feel it forming. Sam's answering smile made it seem a little brighter suddenly, though his words belied that.

"That scamp would soon as get you run back into bed, Mister Frodo. You've only just got up a few days ago, and he's had you running from Bree to back without a nay-say in the bargain. What you need is a good sit-down game to keep you still, but keep your mind working." Sam nodded, then wracked his brains for some sort of entertainment that matched his requirements. Unfortunately, Sam was unfamiliar with many games, having had little free time to indulge, as he was a working Hobbit.

A voice from the doorway came to the rescue.

"_The Old Hobbit's Cat_!" Two Hobbits seemed to tumble in as the door swung wide on well-kept hinges. They were seemingly as different as night and day, the aforementioned Pippin being dark and slim and very youthful, while Cousin Merry was on the pudgy side, with a head of tousled blond curls and a more mature, worldly air about him. Their personalities matched their appearances, as well, Pip's being naïve and playful while Merry was intelligent... though just as much up for a good prank.

Landing pretty much at Frodo's bare feet, Merry grinned up at his cousin, Pip's head caught under his arm in a grappling move. Apparently they'd been romping in the hall and had determined to involve Frodo in the fun... or so it seemed to Frodo. However, the oldest of the four friends didn't mind the intrusion one bit. He started laughing and reached down to untangle his youngest cousin, Pippin, before the other brunette could lose his breath from the hold he was in.

As Frodo stopped, he suddenly stopped, a thought coming to him. "_The Old Hobbit's Cat_? Why didn't I remember that before? What a marvelous idea... Merry." It could easily have been Pip who'd suggested it, as in their breathless tussle, the voice had been unrecognizable, but Frodo was willing to bet it was his more intelligent cousin who'd thought of such an intellectual, calm game.

Merry nodded with a grin, confirming his cousin's suspicions. "Of course. It's perfect for the great Dining Hall, too. Lots of room for people to gather in a circle there. And with the rain, those Elves'll be wanting fun, won't they?" He finally consented to let Pip go, and the younger Hobbit collapsed, laughing and gasping for breath.

Looking up, laughter dancing in his merry blue eyes, Peregrin Took clapped his hands. "I've only played that game at parties. I always lose it, too." He didn't sound unhappy at the prospect however. "I bet we can get Boromir to play."

"Right, Pip. Let's go, then." And without further consultation, or even waiting for confirmation that they would indeed be playing, the two younger Hobbits sprang from the floor and ran from the bedroom, making a draft of cool air fly back to brush at the remaining duo's clothing. They looked at each other and both let their breath out. Merry and Pippin could have that effect at times.

Racing down the hall, as if some silent competition had been called, the two young Hobbits hurried for the Weapons Room. Both knew that Boromir and Gimli would be in there on such a gloomy day, as that room seemed to draw the two warriors. There seemed, also, to be some unspoken agreement that the first to get Boromir's agreement in the game would somehow win the impromptu race.

A figure stepping into the hall at that precise moment put an end to the race, and nearly the entire game plan.

Merry managed to just dodge out of the way of the gray colored figure, but Pippin, head down in his efforts, barreled right into the Wizard Gandalf. He yelped as both went tumbling to the ground, the elderly Wizard grunting in surprise and the landing. The blond Hobbit skidded to a halt, slamming into a wall by preference to the Wizard. At least he'd hurt no one, even himself. Pippin hadn't been so lucky.

"Peregrin Took! What do you think you are doing? This is a hallway, not a pony course, and you'd do well to recall that people use it to traverse at normal speeds." Gandalf pushed himself to a sitting position, checking his thin body for signs of injury, patting hands over robe and head. With a start of surprise, he noted his hat was missing.

Pippin stood and offered the battered pointed hat to the old Wizard. "I'm that sorry, Gandalf. I didn't know you'd leave your room then, or I'd have dodged left, like Merry."

Harumphing, Gandalf stood and snatched his hat away, slamming it onto his head with a glare for the foolish youngster. "Dodge left... humph!" With a final brush at his dirt-stained robes, he turned his glare on the other Hobbit.

A wide grin was quickly hidden behind a mask of concern as Merry offered a belated helping hand. He looked past Gandalf towards the next hall, hoping to get away quickly so he might still talk to Boromir. Unfortunately, his inattention was very much in evidence, and Gandalf pounced on it as a sign of mischief, which it often was.

"And where do you think you're off to, Meriadoc Brandybuck? Trouble, no doubt, and that would merit serious work to put you in mind of how next to traverse Elven halls."

Merry's head shot around and his gray eyes widened in horror. "Not trouble!"

This was echoed by a desperate Pippin. If Gandalf wanted to assign them tasks to prevent mischief, there'd be no games. "We're not causing trouble, Gandalf, Sir. We wanted to let Boromir know there's another game to play."

Stifling a groan, Merry glared at his young cousin. Games weren't exactly a responsible alternative or a good reason for running. He shoved his hands in his pockets, none-the-less, and backed his cousin up, as ever. "Yes, a nice, intellectual game with sitting down, not running around."

Gandalf seemed less hostile, intrigue lighting his pale blue eyes. "Oh? Intellectual with no running at all?" He waited to see if either Hobbit would back-pedal at his tone of awe. Neither did, to his surprise.

"Yes, Gandalf... we're going to play _The Old Hobbit's Cat_, because Frodo wanted a sit-down game. Sam's to play, too, and we're going to get Boromir... and Gimli," Pip threw in for good measure, counting on the Dwarf to be with Boromir in the Weapons Room; it made it sound more official if they had more players.

The Wizard nodded. "Well..." he scratched at his long beak of a nose and looked thoughtfully over the pair of troublemakers. Drawing out the moment, watching them begin to squirm, Gandalf finally smiled a bit and nodded. "I'll play then... if you can get the rest of our Fellowship to join this game, too. I shall even see if Elrond will let us use the Dining Hall, as that game requires a good number of people."

As the two Hobbits nodded relief almost comically evident now, the Wizard turned and started walking towards Elrond's chambers. He could resist the chuckle that escaped him, as he often found Pippin and Merry quite amusing... especially when trouble wasn't involved.

Merry and Pip looked at one another and, as one, sighed. "Well, that was close," commented Pippin ingeniously.

The blond laughed, rolling his eyes. "Close? This means we have to get Strider to play. That'll be harder than convincing Gandalf we're telling the truth."

"But, Merry, we were telling the truth."

Glancing over his shoulder at his young cousin, Merry started moving down the hallway, noting the brunette was following. "Of course we were telling the truth, Pip, but Gandalf doesn't often hear us telling truths, so it's be hard for him to recognize it, wouldn't it?" Confusion dawned in the young Took's eyes, and Merry took that as a sign to just let it go.

The pair rounded the corner towards the main rooms of Elrond's great house. This hall was wider and traffic a bit heavier since all errands had to be run inside or risk the rain. Dodging skillfully among Elves, the Hobbits made their way into the Weapons room, where they were brought up short.

It was empty.

"Now what'll we do, Merry? Gandalf expects us to get the others."

Merry thoughtfully nodded, pretty much ignoring his cousin's question. He glanced around the room, searching his mind for some idea as to where the members of the Fellowship might be holding up. It was some minutes before he hit upon an idea, and suddenly became aware that Pippin had been talking the entire time. He turned and grinned at his cousin, slapping him playfully on the back. "Never fear, Pip, I've thought where Legolas might be."

With a nod, Pippin gladly dropped his attempts at location suggestions and trotted obediently after his cousin, letting him take the lead, as always. After all, the two were rarely apart, and with Merry being the smarter, more inventive, Pip naturally fell into the role of follower... which he minded not in the least. He noted, with interest, that they headed into the Dining Hall.

The blond Hobbit grinned in delight as he noticed that Gandalf had already arranged, or had arranged, the room. A very large circle of chairs was set up, the tables pushed back out of the way. Already several interested Elves were either sitting in the circle, or hovering nearby. Among those to have gyrated to the center of activity was the Prince of Mirkwood, Legolas Greenleaf himself. Merry had been right that the Elf would center in on the commotion and check into it.

"Oh, look, Merry. There's Legolas."

"Of course, Pip. I knew he'd be here." Merry gave his cousin a saucy grin and trotted over towards the Elf, almost counting to himself as he walked. As if on a cue, by the count of twelve, a large voice boomed across the dining room, confirming another of Merry's suspicions: Where Legolas wandered, Gimli the Dwarf was sure to follow, if only not to be left out of any excitement.

"What's this I here of a contest? We Dwarves are notoriously good at contests." Following his large voice came the squat form of the warrior Dwarf, conspicuous in his clothing, armor and axe missing.

Rolling blue-brown eyes, Legolas the Elf turned his back towards Gimli and muttered, "Only if the contests involve stench and getting caught." It was fortunate that only those closest could hear, as such a remark could have set off a very hostile encounter.

Pippin turned his course to meet that of Gimli's, grinning widely in his enthusiasm for their scheme. "We're to play The Old Hobbit's Cat, Gimli. It's a lovely, fun game where we..."

The Hobbit was cut off by Gandalf's voice. "Contain yourself, Peregrin. The rules will wait until all are assembled. Have you located the other two?"

"Uh..."

"Here I am." Boromir's strong voice brought relief to Pip's face. He, too, had heard of the game and came in to find out what this new start from the Hobbits would be like. After all, he'd yet to win one of their games, but they hadn't been dull in the least, passing the time until Elrond determined the Quest might start.

Frodo, Sam, and Aragorn entered at that point, the elder Hobbits having gone to fetch him from one of the reading rooms. More excitement rang through the room as Elrond and his three children entered, followed slowly by the eldest Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. At last the company was set.

Frail voice matching frailer body, Bilbo slid gingerly onto a low, cushioned chair specially set up for him. "Are we having a game, then?" The rain made his joints ache abominably and he didn't think he would manage anything more than enjoying the scene. He didn't seem too bothered that his chair was actually located outside of the circle, rather than with the group.

Elrond sat next to Bilbo and nodded at his guest. In his calming, deep voice he affirmed, "I understand Frodo has requested entertainment."

The comment made Frodo flush, as it sounded to him as if he was making demands. But no on else seemed bothered by the information, and the brunette slid into a chair, starting to relax. Sam made certain his was situated before joining his master in the circle. Frodo nodded his thanks. "I thought the rain was a bit... dreary, and hoped a game might cheer things up, Uncle Bilbo."

"Ah..." Bilbo nodded wisely, but refrained from further comment as the rain had made him drowsy. He took that opportunity to nod off a bit.

Aragorn sat on Frodo's other side, and the others who wished to participate took chairs as well. The ranger noted that every member of the Fellowship, as well as Elrond's three offspring, had joined the game. He turned interested eyes to Frodo, whom he noticed was slightly flustered by the sudden attention... just as he had been during the first game together.

"Well..." Frodo cleared his throat and nodded, trying again. "Well, we're going to be playing _The Old Hobbit's Cat_. Everyone's to clap in rhythm together, so no one falls out of beat. As we clap, we have to recite to the beat. If someone falls out of beat, he's out of the game. It goes until there is only one left." Relieved to have that over, the Hobbit sat back, ready to enjoy the game.

Gandalf cleared his throat, smiling in gentle amusement. "Very easy to follow rules, I'd say. However, this is one thing which concerns me, Frodo Baggins." Said Hobbit looked up, confused. "What is it we are to recite in beat, pray tell? You have managed to leave that bit out."

Frodo's face flamed brightly.

Sam took over, however, coming to his master's supposed rescue without a thought. "Oh, we recite 'The old hobbit's cat is a...' well, you put in a word there, see, then finish with 'cat'. And the word has to be starting with whatever letter we're on at the time. And you can't go using someone else's word, neither, Sir."

"I see." Gandalf nodded. "So, it truly is an intellectual game, is it not? And I suppose we start with A and continue with _A_ until someone breaks rhythm? Then we go onto _B_, hmm?"

Sam nodded, smiling. The rest of the group murmured, but none dropped out of the game. Gimli looked quite pleased convinced that any game, which had a steady beat, was no problem. Dwarves, in his opinion were great at holding a beat. Legolas, on the other hand, was convinced that he could easily out last the Dwarf, as vocabulary didn't seem high on Gimli's list of priorities. Of Boromir's and Aragorn's opinions, there was no evidence. Both remained neutral in expression, merely waiting for the game to begin.

With a snort, Bilbo awoke, distracting everyone just as they had prepared to start their clapping. He looked around, watery gray eyes confused. After harumphing and coughing, the elderly Hobbit shifted into a more comfortable position and asked, "Weren't we going to play a game? Might I suggest The Old Hobbit's Cat? It's frightfully fun and people do get so very angry when they lose... really amusing to watch." And, he wouldn't be required to play, either, which pleased him no end.

Bilbo couldn't understand why everyone laughed, the sound cheerful, not mean.

Then the Hobbit's were clapping steadily, and everyone else started picking up on the simple beat. In fact, it was a beat that almost any child learned, beat and beat and beat and... so on. Then, as he had wanted the game, Frodo took charge and started.

"The old hobbit's cat is an angry cat."

"The old hobbit's cat is an apricot cat," added Sam, and on it went.

As far as games went, the watching was certainly amusing, as person after person missed the beat, trying to think up a word that hadn't been used, and getting annoyed when someone before them used the word before it became his or her turn once more. Playing was fun, too, but did require a good working knowledge of vocabulary, as Legolas suspected.

Pippin lasted until _D_, in which he was called out, not for losing the beat, but for using the noun Dog as an adjective. As Merry pointed out, there are Wolf Spiders and Dogfish, but no Dog-cats. Thus, the youngest Hobbit was out. Merry lost on _E_, as he was sixth in line and could think of nothing other than Evil, which Boromir had used, and Energetic, which the Elf next to him had utilized.

Rather than sit still and listen to the vast amount of words being thrown back and forth, despite it perhaps being helpful in future games, Pip jumped up from his chair and started circling round the outside of the ring. He was grinning and mouthing something, but as he was not interrupting nor distracting, no one stopped him. As he passed Merry, however, the other Hobbit distinctly thought he heard Pippin mummer "Duck... duck... duck..." Merry watched him through narrowed eyes.

Boromir was delighted when Aragorn struck out with the letter _K_. Arwen had gotten Kitty Cat, and that had thrown the ranger off beat as he tried to get the childish term from his mind. The Man from Gondor however also was struck out on _K_, as he couldn't think of another word when it was his turn, klutzy and kinky having been taken, among others. Gimli smugly watched as Legolas stumbled over _Q_, privately thankful it hadn't gotten to his turn, as he'd have been out, as well. _U_, unfortunately, stumped the Dwarf, but he determined to brag about how much longer he'd stayed in the game than his rival had.

Thus, among those remaining, Sam, Frodo, Gandalf, Arwen, and one of Elrond's twin sons remained, along with a handful of Elves and one other Dwarf. The Dwarf was out on i>V, however, and Elves lost the last four letters. Without missing a beat, Sam started over with _A_, words having been previously used now included once more. He was out with _C_, though... having missed the fact that someone else used in this round.

Merry turned from the game, frowning as he was certain Pip had said "Duck" in passing. He waited, barely noticing when Arwen was called out for using a _C_ word on _K_, and when Frodo stumbled trying to get out Malevolent on his turn with _M_. As Pip made his tenth round, Merry strained to hear. Pippin passed and softly said "Duck... duck... duck..." What in Middle-Earth was that Took up to?

A cheer went up as Gandalf stood and bowed. All attention shot towards the Wizard, including a rudely awakened Bilbo. Apparently, he won by using Quintessential on his turn, and Glorfindel had been stumped. Gandalf was last in the game, and thus called the winner. The applause and congratulations, however, were interrupted as Pippin raised his voice now he wouldn't disturb the game.

"Duck... duck... duck..." He actually reach out and tapped people on the back as he circled. Most of the company fell silent in confusion, watching this odd behavior. It was only a few seconds before chaos reigned, as Merry came to Frodo and slapped him upside the back of the head, yelling "Goose!" at the top of his lungs. He took off running around the circle.

The other brunette took only a moment to assimilate what had occurred, before a wide grin split his face and he jumped from his chair, running after the madly laughing Took. He actually managed to grab him, too, just a few paces away from their chairs.

Other people were catching on to the impromptu game; now, having seen versions of it played by children everywhere. They stood most willing to remain in this new game, moving their chairs out of the way so no one stumbled as they rose. Then, the group of Elves, and others, sat on the floor, ready to begin a slightly more active, indoor game.

Pippin, having been caught by Frodo, had to sit in the middle of the circle... or the Fox's Cooking Pot. If someone could make it all the way around the circle to the empty Goose's Chair, then the Cooking Pot was set free. If not, each subsequent runner that was caught by the Goose would be placed in the Pot. It was one of those never-ending games used to entertain children when there was a lot of indoor room to be utilized.

Frodo started walking around the circle, now, calling loudly "Duck... duck..." as he went and tapping on shoulders as he passed. The Dwarf and Hobbits were at a disadvantage due to their shorter legs, but it would be frightfully boring if none of the taller folk got to be Goose, thus, Frodo determined that he'd most likely wind up in the Pot as he searched out someone to chase him. With a sudden grin, he homed in on whom he thought would be perfect.

With a sudden loud "Goose" Frodo was off and running, Arwen sitting in stunned silence as it sunk in that she had been picked. Scrambling ungracefully to her feet, tangling in her skirts, the Elf woman had to put on extra speed to try to catch up, knowing she'd been picked because Frodo had foreseen the difficulty her clothing would cause. She caught him none-the-less, and everyone laughed as the panting Hobbit made his way into the center to sit with his cousin.

Arwen smiled triumphantly around the group. Still grinning, she bent over to grasp the hem of her long skirts. Straightening, the Elf tucked the ends up into her waistline, making it easier to run, despite showing off a fair amount of shapely leg. No one was crude enough to catcall, and Elrond's daughter started on her circle, tapping people on their shoulder as she moved around the group.

When she named one of her brothers as Goose, a laugh echoed as he tripped over his own feet getting up. He didn't catch his sister, and the Pot was set free with much wild cheering from the two Hobbits. With a sigh, the Elf man shook his head and made his rounds, ending on Legolas. At least he made a graceful showing, but was heartily embarrassed when he was captured by his Goose, Merry. Sitting in the Pot, Legolas deliberately did not look towards the Dwarf, as he knew that smugness would be written all over the other male's face.

By the end of the day, another game of _The Old Hobbit's Cat_ was played, with Gandalf again the winner, again using Quintessential as his word. Another game of _Duck, Duck, Goose_ followed that, as well. Then, it was time to set the Hall back in order, as dinner supper would soon be served. People chatted and laughed among themselves, having passed a surprisingly pleasant rainy day after all. In fact, all four young Hobbits were surprised that they had been having so much fun, they'd forgotten elevensies, lunch, tea, and the other in-between meals of the regular Hobbit day.

Frodo, most of all, was pleased as he slid another chair into place at one of the long tables. He had successfully been distracted all day long. Not once had he thought of the Ring or the Quest... or even Bag End. He nodded and hurried to help Sam with another chair. Yes, a rainy autumn day had turned into a ray of sunshine and fun with the Fellowship.

He wondered what tomorrow would bring.

Continued in Chapter Five: ---when written---


End file.
